contrary to popular belief

phrase

In opposition to what most laypeople would think is true.

“Contrary to popular belief, Columbus was not actually the first person to discover America.”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. In opposition to what most laypeople would think is true.

    Contrary to popular belief, Columbus was not actually the first person to discover America.

    1 more example

    I regularly have cause to recall a scene from a novel called Madder Music, by Peter de Vries, in which the main character, a writer who specialises in polo, hears a match announcer telling newcomers to the ground that, contrary to popular belief, the ball is struck with the side of the mallet, rather than the end.

    2016 September 13, Tim Dowling, “Order force: the old grammar rule we all obey without realising”, in The Guardian

Translations

Portuguese diferente do que muitos pensam
  • diferente do que muitos pensamTranslations
Spanish contrario a/de la creencia popular
  • contrario a/de la creencia popularTranslations
Turkish sanılanın aksine, zannedilenin aksine
  • sanılanın aksineTranslations
  • zannedilenin aksineTranslations
  • bilinenin aksineTranslations
  • yaygın inanışın aksineTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

contrary to popular belief. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrary%20to%20popular%20belief

MLA

“contrary to popular belief.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrary%20to%20popular%20belief. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contrary to popular belief,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrary%20to%20popular%20belief.

Source: contrary to popular belief on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.